Philly’s latest offering in the almighty rap scene is 2Rare. The youngin’ in his early twenties has already secured the bag, literally and figuratively. Following a one-million dollar signing with Warner Records-affiliated Second Estate Records, 2Rare is set to take over the new wave of rappers. With a sleek, melodic rap flow, the rising star is off to an excellent start.
While he’s been highly involved in music for many years, the 2020s have been more than kind. His 2020 single, “Big Drippa,” became a viral hit, effectively putting him on the map. The Gen-Z artist has also utilized his young fanbase, finding success on the popular app TikTok. There, 2Rare can be seen living it up, dancing, or showing off his musical skills. Today, he’s got the 2023 XXL Freshman Class as one of his many achievements.
2Rare’s Rise To Fame
2Rare’s initial passion was football and not becoming a rapper. He was born Naseem Rafeeq Young and played receiver, safety, and kick returner in the hopes of becoming a player in the big leagues. However, a brief move to Los Angeles derailed his interest in the sport, moving him more in the musical direction. This proved successful, as his independently released 2019 song “Big Bag” achieved moderate success. He eventually signed a joint deal with Internet Money Records, 10K Projects, and Homemade Projects.
With “Big Drippa,” “Waikiki,” and “Rare Story,” 2Rare had begun a smooth ascent into the public's consciousness. When he flipped the 1996 classic “Cupid” by 112 and released “Cupid Remix,” he achieved viral success on TikTok. By sampling the tune and still achieving authenticity on the remix, 2Rare secured a host of fans across multiple generations.
“Cupid Remix” wasn’t officially released until clearance from 112, which thankfully came quite easily. 112 member Q Parker revealed to Rolling Stone that he found out about the song from his son. The group was happy to have the sample cleared. “As an artist, you live to see someone sample your record, let alone see it trending on social media,” he said. “It says a lot about the quality of that record, the fact that a new generation can take it and make it into something that they rock with.”
Major Breakthrough & Continued Success
2Rare’s become a well-known artist due to his fresh, melodic rap-sung abilities. He’s also earning acclaim for his versatility on his numerous tracks. 2Rare spoke to XXL about his many influences as an artist, which he credits for his well-rounded sound. “Coming up, it was DaBaby, Chris Brown and it was like Drake and Lil Wayne. Wayne for his metaphors, Drake for his versatility and DaBaby for his creativity,” he said. “Lil Durk always reminds me, ‘Bro, you got the world, you got the youth, you got the kids, you got the influence.’ So, no matter what you do that’s different from everybody else, keep doing it.”
Drake tapped him to appear in the music video for the latter’s Hip Hop and dance-infused “Sticky.” 2Rare and Drake also engaged in a humorous dance battle, awarding the former even more fans. By August 2022, 2Rare extended his viral status with the “Q-Pid” track featuring Lil Durk. “Q-Pid” further earned millions of streams due to its popularity. This ultimately led to his signing by A&R veteran and Second Estate Records founder Mel Carter.
As a result of this signing, 2Rare will be awarded a full range of marketing and distribution services by Warner Records. He’s also the first artist to be signed to the label. His debut project, titled Truth or Rare, is set to be released sometime in the summer 2023.